Article holding device



May 29, 195l G. H. MYRlcK l-:T AL 2,555,053

ARTICLE HOLDING DEVICE Filed Dec. 31, 1948 Patented May 29, 1951 UNITEl STATES] .cesante-1' s AnrrIoLEiHoLmNGmnvIeE Y l A(iet-ngeHJMyfriek andinos-ini Emmer', f Rocheste,Mi1`nl Application Decanterv 31, 194s; serial: No. s855526 This invention relates 4to article hold-ing devices, more particularly to devices for supporting articles such as paint brushes, for example, on a wall of an open ended' container, and -the invention has for anobject' the provision of. inexpensive, reliable a'nd readily 'manipulatablel holdingdevic'es of this character.

Various holding and supporting d'e'v'ice's' have heretofore been provided having abody' portion including clamping" means' for supporting a paint brush or similar article within a container, and also including resilient clamping means adapted tobe sprung overtheedg'e'portion'of the-open' end of a paint can or'siinilar container. Such holding devices are intended to support the paint brush inupright position within th'e container so that the bristle portion of the brush may be maintained in the paint or'i'n oil or other liquid' lwhen not in use. The use'of. resilient clamping means for gripping'the wallof the container involves" the extra expense of spring steel or similar materials, which require tempering or other treatment after being formed', and which, due to fatigue after long` periods of use, may become ineiective lirmly to support the paint brush.

Accordingly it isha-further object of this invention to provide an article holding device for paint -brushesand the like' which :may be inexpensively formed from non-resilient'materials'.

Another'` object off the' iinvehtionl'is* the provision of an article holding. device of this'char-v acter'which makes use of' the resiliency-of the container wall for insuring. rm supportof the holding device on the Wall.

In carrying out the invention in one form, a holding device is providedy for use with a' oontainer having a curved resilient wall and comprising a body portion having a pair of rigid wallengaging members extending from the body portion and spaced apart soas tofrespectivelyl' engage the inner and outer surfaces of the container wall when pressed over the top edge thereof, one of the members subtending an arc of the inner surface of the wall and the other of the lmembers engaging the outer surface of the wall at a point within the subtended arc and being transversely spaced from the rst member a distance less than the depth of the arc so as to effect distortion of the container wall, which thereby resiliently engages the rigid supporting members.

For a more complete understanding of the invention reference should now be had to the drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an article hold- 2" claims. (c1. gisLne') ing-` device embodying -the fpresentfinvent-ion,l

mounted on the wallet the'container,.` which wall is Yshown` Yonly fragmentarily, 'and supporting `apaint brush, whichisshownM in brokenlines;

i5-A Figi-f2 lean-end elevational view of the articleholdingdevice shown vin-lig. 11, thefshowing-of the container wall-and the paint brushy being omitted;y

Fig. 3 is a top plan View of the article holdl0 ing device, the showing-of :the paint brush being omitted; and

Fig'. 4 is a sectional view on-an' enlarged-scale taken through the rig-idwall engaging members ofthe article rholdingl deviceiin-order to illustrate lthe manner in-wh-ich lthe can wall is distorted so asresiliently to engage-the rigid member.

Referring now to thel drawing, the inventionis shown `asr embodied in an article holding devicey II) comprising a rigid channel-shaped body portioninoluding.oppcsedfflanges II and' I2 connected by ayoke portion I3. As shown, the ilange I-2 terminates Yin a return bend portion I4 which isextended tofprovide a spaced flange I5 which extends substantially parallelv to the flange I2 to provide a channel I6 which is invertedwith respect to the channel-shaped body portion. The flange I5, as shown, includes a portion I'I which' extends downwardly below the yoke portion I3' of the'channel-shaped body portion.

As shown in Fig. 1, the inverted channel I6, isfadapted to be pressedr over the open upper edge of a= container, suchvfor example as a. paint can having a substantially cylindrical wall I3 formed of resilient `material suchV as' sheet metal. Although article holding devices embodying' the invention are.' applicable to various types of containers; the container-represented by the wall I-8' in= Fig. 1 constitutes the u'sual paint container in Winch, after the top`-has been cut away, the upper of the' wall I 81 has'f been turned' over to form a bead I9. The length of the flanges I2 and I5, with relation to the Width of the channel I6 and the curvature of the wall I8 is such that when the channel I B is forced over the upper edge thereof, the resilient wall I8 will be distorted so as resiliently to engage the flanges I2 and I5.

More specifically, and as best shown in Fig. 4, the length of the flange I2 is such that the arc of the container wall I8 subtended thereby when the channel I6 is pressed over the upper edge of the Wall, is of a greater depth than the width of the channel. In other words the width of the channel I6 as represented by the letter in Fig. 4, is less than the depth y of the arc subtended by the ange I2. Accordingly when the channel I6 is forced over the wall I8, the Wall is distorted from its normal curvature, indicated by the broken lines in Fig. 4, to the solid line configuration illustrated, so that the wall resiliently engages the inner and outer anges I2 and I5, at three spaced points rmly to support the article holding device I on the container wall.

Assembly of the device I0 on the container wall may be effected in various ways. For example, the body portion may be positioned on the upper edge of the wall I8, so that the depending portion I'I of the flange I5 engages the outer' surface of the Wall, and the flange I may then bek pressed inwardly -while at the same time exerting outward pressure on the wall I8 at the points represented by the arrows in FigsJS and 4 so as to distort the wall I8 and permit the device I0 to be forced downwardly over the upper edge thereof to the position shown in Fig. l. Alternatively, the device I8 may be tilted so that a portion of the wall I8 is caused to enter the channel I6 at one end thereof and the device I0 may then be forced downwardly so as to provide a cam action by the lower edge of the flange I2 and the iiange I5 which distorts the wall I8 to the configuration shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

Although the flange I5 has been illustrated as being of substantially the same length as the inner ange I2, it will, of course, be understood that the flange I5 may be in the formof a narrow nger disposed intermediate the ends of the flange I2 and laterally spaced from the flange I2 a distance suicient to provide the desired three point support while distorting the wall I8 so as to effect resilient engagement and firm support of the device I0. With the flange I5 formed as shown, however, the device I0 is reversible and may be applied to the wall I8 with the channel shaped body portion formed by the flanges II and I2 and the yoke portion I3 disposed either inwardly or outwardly of the container. In any event, however, the members I2 and I5 are rigidly formed so as to effect the desired distortion of the container wall I8.

In the embodiment of the invention shown, the

inner ange I I of the body portion of the device- I terminates at its upper edge in an inwardly extending flange 2|, which cooperates with the flange II to support suitable .article engaging clamping means. Although any desired means may be employed, it is preferred to provide clamping means of the type comprising a continuous strip of spring material formed to provide opposed clamping fingers 22 and 23 connected at their spaced inner ends by a bowed yoke portion 24 which is adapted to be secured to the flange II by a suitable bolt 25 and a cooperating nut 26. The fingers 22 and 23 are adapted to resiliently grip and support the handle 2'I of a suitable paint brush 28 as indicated in broken lines in Fig. 1 and the gripping force exerted by the fingers 22 and 23 may be adjusted by tightening or loosening the bolt 25 as desired.

While a particular embodiment of the invention has been shown, it will be understood, of course, that the invention is not limited thereto since many modifications may be made and it is therefore contemplated by the appended claims Y to cover any such modicaticns as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. A holder-device comprising a channel shaped rigid body portion, article holding means supported on one flange of said body portion, the other flange of said body portion terminating in a reversely extending flange spaced therefrom to provide a rigid channel inverted with respect to said body portion and adapted to be pressed over the edge of the open end of a container having a curved resilient wall, the width of said inverted channel being less than the depth of the arc subtended by the flange of said inverted channel engaging the inner surface of said container wall, whereby said container wall is distorted so as resiliently to grip said inverted channel.

2. A holder-device comprising a rigid body .portion including a ange, article holding means supported on and extending from said body portion, said ilange terminating in a reversely extending flange spaced therefrom to provide a rigid channel inverted with respect to said body portion and adapted to be pressed over the edge of the open end of a container having a curved resilient wall, the width of said inverted channel being less than the depth of the arc subtended by the flange of said inverted channel engaging Ythe inner surface of said container wall, whereby` said container wall is distorted so as resiliently to grip said inverted channel.

GEORGE H. MYRICK. ROY H. BREMER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: l

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

